False

Committee Report

The Committee tabled its Report No. 16, 55th Parliament - Child Protection Reform Amendment Bill 2016 on 28 April 2016. The Bill was passed with amendment on 11 May 2016.

View:    Report No. 16, 55th Parliament - Child Protection Reform Amendment Bill 2016
View:    The Bill was debated in the Parliament on 11 May 2016 - transcript (page 1673).  
             The debate on the Bill can be viewed by clicking on the movie icon  within the transcript
View:    Government response - Report 16
View:    Minister’s speech introducing the Bill into the Queensland Parliament
View:    Child Protection Reform Amendment Bill 2016
View:    Explanatory notes to the Child Protection Reform Amendment Bill 2016

Inquiry timeline

Submissions closed on:     Monday 14 March, 2016 - see "view submissions" tab above
Public briefing:                  Wednesday 24 February 2016 - transcript
Public hearing:                  Tuesday 5 April 2016 - transcript

About the Bill

On 16 February 2016 the Hon. S Fentiman, Member for Waterford and Minister for Communities, Women and Youth, Minister for Child Safety and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence introduced the Child Protection Reform Amendment Bill 2016 into the Queensland Parliament.  In accordance with Standing Order 131, the Bill was referred to the Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee for detailed consideration. 

The policy objectives of the Bill, as outlined in the explanatory notes, are as follows:

The Bill implements ten specific court-related recommendations of the Commission of

Inquiry.

The Bill also implements a recommendation made by the Court Case Management

Committee (CCMC) that will require the Director of Child Protection Litigation (litigation

director), established under the Director of Child Protection Litigation Bill 2016, to seek

leave of the court to withdraw an application for a child protection order.

The Bill will reform court processes to: ensure the voices of children and their families are

heard in decisions that impact on them, minimise delay, improve the quality of evidence

presented to support applications for child protection orders, and improve decision making

because the court will have all the relevant information it needs to make a decision. The Bill

also clarifies the role of various entities in applying for orders under the Child Protection Act

1999 (CPA) and facilitates the creation of the Office of the Child and Family Official

Solicitor (OCFOS) within DCCSDS.
 

The Bill is complemented by the Director of Child Protection Litigation Bill 2016 which is also being considered by the Committee - Inquiry